ABC, NBC Decry Trump’s Call for Civility, Refusal to Take Blame for Bombs

President Trump and the White House refused to bow to the liberal media’s assertions that he was the one responsible for the bombs sent to CNN and other Democrats this week. In response, the liberal media spend most of Thursday throwing a temper tantrum. During ABC’s World News Tonight and NBC Nightly News, these two broadcast networks were clearly irritated as they took shot after shot at the President.

“And we have to stress, we don't know who sent these bombs or why they sent them,” prefaced NBC anchor Lester Holt before attacking Trump for requesting the media turn down their rhetoric. “President Trump yesterday called for peace and harmony and then almost immediately returned to attacks on the news media.”

He handed things over to bitter White House correspondent Peter Alexander, who began by complaining about Trump’s morning tweet criticizing the media for refusing to tone down their hate:

Even as police investigated another suspicious package, President Trump this morning on Twitter blaming the press for causing “a very big part of the anger we see today in our society.” “It's gotten so bad and hateful”, he tweets, adding “mainstream media must clean up its act, fast.”

Demonstrating how far he was divorced from reality, Alexander asserted that Trump’s request that people stop referring to each other as “historical villains” (like Adolf Hitler) was somehow a “swipe at Democrats.” Since Hitler has been one of the liberal media’s favorite comparison to use against Trump, it might have been an accidental admission of bias by NBC.

“Those comments just moments after calling for Americans to come together in peace and harmony. President Trump taking no responsibility for his divisive rhetoric but praising his own restraint,” Alexander whined.

While Alexander chided Trump for not being civil, he touted a tweet from former CIA Director and NBC News analyst John Brennan for “delivering a scathing rebuttal: ‘Stop blaming others. Look in the mirror...[C]lean up your act….try to act presidential.’” Of course, that came after the liberal media championed Brennan after he claimed Trump committed treason.

Meanwhile on ABC, reporter Gio Benitez said it was “unclear” “how long the push for harmony will last” because of Trump supporters who “are still chanting ‘lock her up’” “two years into his presidency.”

ABC’s sensationalist anchor David Muir couldn’t wrap his head around how White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders could defend Trump and say he wasn’t responsible. “‘Absolutely ridiculous’, ‘that it's at the hands of the President’, were her words there at the end. So, Jon, defending the President there. And this call for unity from the President himself last night, how long do you suggest it will last,” he asked chief White House correspondent Jon Karl.

Karl wasn’t optimistic that Trump could remain civil for long because he was going on the campaign trail:

He certainly toned down the rhetoric last night in Wisconsin. But at the same time, neither the President nor any of us top advisers have said there is anything wrong at all with his rhetoric or it in any way encourages violence. And White House officials say, David, that he will continue to draw sharp distinctions with Democrats. And this morning, he issued a tweet where he had a brand new attack on the media, saying, quote, “news organizations are bad and hateful beyond description”.

“So, the bottom line here is, I would not look to the President to be toning down his rhetoric for long,” Karl concluded.

The transcripts are below, click "expand" to read:

ABC’s World News Tonight
October 25, 2018
6:35 p.m. Eastern

(…)

GIO BENITEZ: And all of them were sent to people critical of President Trump, or who were frequent subjects of verbal attacks by the President. At this year's Tony awards, de Niro took aim at the president.

ROBERT DE NIRO: It is no longer down with Trump. It’s f-[bleep] Trump.

BENITEZ: At the time, the President responding, saying De Niro was “a very low IQ individual, too many shots to the head by real boxers.” But across the country tonight, a renewed debate over political rhetoric going too far. And last night, in Wisconsin, the President condemning what he called political violence.

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: We want all sides to come together in peace and harmony, we can do it. We can do it. We can do it.

BENITEZ: What's unclear is how long the push for harmony will last. Two years into his presidency, and crowds are still chanting "lock her up." This just days ago.

[Crowd roaring, but no “lock her up chant”]

BENITEZ: But last night, the President saying this --

TRUMP: And by the way, do you see how nice I'm behaving tonight? This is like -- have you ever seen this? We're all behaving very well. And hopefully we can keep it that way, right? We're going to keep it that way.

(…)

6:39 p.m. Eastern

DAVID MUIR: Amid this wave of suspected bombs, President Trump, as you heard a moment ago, calling for unity overnight. I want to bring in our chief White House correspondent Jonathan Karl tonight. And Jon, there have been calls for political leaders really in both parties to take down the temperature of the rhetoric. But when it comes to the President, this is what Sarah Sanders said today, you were listening.

SARAH HUCKABEE SANDERS: There's a big difference between comments made and actions taken. [Flash] The idea that this is at the hands of the president is absolutely ridiculous.

MUIR: “Absolutely ridiculous”, “that it's at the hands of the President”, were her words there at the end. So, Jon, defending the President there. And this call for unify from the President himself last night, how long do you suggest it will last?

JON KARL: Well, the President's about to embark on his most intensive period of campaigning since he himself was running. We're talking about at least ten rallies planned for the final week of the campaign. He certainly toned down the rhetoric last night in Wisconsin. But at the same time, neither the President nor any of us top advisers have said there is anything wrong at all with his rhetoric or it in any way encourages violence. And White House officials say, David, that he will continue to draw sharp distinctions with Democrats. And this morning, he issued a tweet where he had a brand new attack on the media, saying, quote, “news organizations are bad and hateful beyond description”. So, the bottom line here is, I would not look to the President to be toning down his rhetoric for long.

NBC Nightly News
October 25, 2018
7:09 p.m. Eastern

LESTER HOLT: And we have to stress, we don't know who sent these bombs or why they sent them, but at times of national crisis like this, presidents in the past have made statements to unify the nation. And in fact, President Trump yesterday called for peace and harmony and then almost immediately returned to attacks on the news media. Here is NBC News White House correspondent Peter Alexander.

[Cuts to video]

PETER ALEXANDER: Even as police investigated another suspicious package, President Trump this morning on Twitter blaming the press for causing “a very big part of the anger we see today in our society.” “It's gotten so bad and hateful”, he tweets, adding “mainstream media must clean up its act, fast.” A criticism the president laid out last night in Wisconsin.

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: The media also has a responsibility to set a civil tone.

ALEXANDER: Also taking an apparent swipe at Democrats.

TRUMP: No one should carelessly compare political opponents to historical villains.

ALEXANDER: Those comments just moments after calling for Americans to come together in peace and harmony. President Trump taking no responsibility for his divisive rhetoric but praising his own restraint.

(…)

ALEXANDER: One of the bomb makers intended targets, former CIA Director and NBC News analyst John Brennan delivering a scathing rebuttal. “Stop blaming others. Look in the mirror (…) clean up your act….try to act presidential.”

SARAH HUCKABEE SANDERS: The idea this is at the hands of the President is absolutely ridiculous.

ALEXANDER: Tonight bipartisan calls for calm from Republican Steve Scalise, wounded during last year’s shooting at a baseball practice.

REP. STEVE SCALICE: This isn't what America is all about. I'm disturbed by the fact it's happening over and over again.

ALEXANDER: And from Patrick Kennedy who lost two uncles to political violence.

PATRICK KENNEDY: There is consequence to these inflammatory insightful rhetoric.

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